WILLIAMS HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE TO ADDRESS LEGISLATIVE REMEDIES TO PATIENT ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE AND THE MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CRISIS

HARRISBURG, September 30, 2002 - - State Senator Connie Williams held a press conference today at the Capitol to address patient access to health care and the ongoing physician medical malpractice insurance crisis in Pennsylvania.

Williams said that she organized the press conference because she is receiving an increasing amount of alarming letters, phone calls, and e-mails from health care professionals who fear that they will be forced to close their practices if they cannot meet the October 1 or October 31 deadline when their insurance contracts are up for renewal.

"The situation has continued to deteriorate to the point that many communities are now facing serious health care access problems," Williams (D-Delaware/Montgomery) said.

Patient access to high-quality health care is still in danger because physicians must accept a reimbursement schedule dictated by a monopolistic HMO situation and by federal reimbursements constrained by budgetary concerns.

"We need to bring the insurance companies back into Pennsylvania so that our constituents can have the best medical care," Williams said.

In an effort to curb the mass exodus of physicians to other states, Williams introduced legislation in the House that would permit doctors to join together to negotiate fees with insurance companies.

In August, Williams introduced legislation that would provide for a 10 percent tax credit for the costs of professional liability insurance for health care providers.

Williams said that she plans on Wednesday to introduce legislation that would establish a Medical Professional Liability Court situated in Norristown and Scranton, Harrisburg and Williamsport, Pittsburgh and Erie to eliminate the problem of venue shopping.

"Philadelphia and its suburbs have been hardest hit with Philadelphia’s juries accounting for 8 of the state’s 13 million-dollar-plus verdicts, awarding a total of $37 million."

Williams said she recognizes that her legislative remedies alone will not be enough to solve the crisis. She said that she will need the support of the Governor to solve the health care crisis facing Pennsylvania’s patients and physicians and was encouraged when the Governor stressed the significance of this issue last week at the Chamber Dinner.

"Genuine efforts made by the Governor and the Insurance Commissioner to bring insurers back to the table may be enough to keep physicians here long enough so that we can finish the legislative remedies we started this spring," Williams said.

Healthcare professionals from across the state came to the press conference including Dr. Howard Richter, President of the Pennsylvania Medical Society and Donna Rovito, Legislative Chair of the Pennsylvania Medical Society Alliance. Barbara Clement from Southeastern Pennsylvania also spoke from a patient perspective.